A method of preparing a field for the play of a club and ball game

ABSTRACT

A method of preparing a field for the play of a club and ball game, including the steps of (a) defining on said field one or more playable surfaces including: (i) a tee-off area, said area determining a region where game players are permitted to commence play; (ii) a fairway at least partially bounded by one or more one or more unplayable areas; (iii) a green; and (iv) a hole opening into a playable surface of the green, wherein the hole is configured to receive a game ball therein; and (b) defining, on the one or more playable surfaces, one or more corrals, each of said corrals defining an area where game events may commence from.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a field for theplay of a club and ball game.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Outdoor club and ball games are a popular leisure activity and a form ofcompetitive sport. A central feature of these games is the ability ofthe players to hit a ball using a club type instrument. A subset ofthese games involves hitting the ball into a series of holes on a field(or “course”) for the purpose of accumulating a score. In such games theplaying field is a critical component that influences factors includingthe duration, difficulty, location and observability of the game.

Golf is one of the most popular club and ball games. Games of golf arecritically influenced by the properties of the course on which the gameis played. The course for a typical golf game consists of a progressionof holes, each includes a separate field with forms of standardisedterrain providing an obstacle for players as they attempt to play theball into the hole with the club. In existing games each player countshow many shots he or she requires to play the ball into the hole.Typically golf games are played over nine or eighteen holes, where thereis an average (or ‘par’) number of shots associated with each hole.Tournament matches are typically played over several days, and requirelive spectators to physically traverse the course.

Traditional marked fields defining the game of golf have severalcharacteristics. First, the fields utilised are large and expansive inorder to provide both aesthetic value to spectators and to ensure thatsinking the hole is challenging for the competitors. Secondly, thefields define a method of game which involves a linear and repetitiveprogression of play within each hole, and over the series of fieldsdefining the course. Players start from the tee-off area and continue tohit shots until they sink their ball into the hole. All players play onall the fields, with the overall best player determined at the end ofthe game based on the lowest accumulated number of shots. Significantly,the nature of the game demands that only one player may perform shots atany one time. The disadvantages of this type of ‘traditional golf’include:

-   -   1. Long play durations to determine the winning player as every        competitor must play many shots over all fields in the course        resulting in games which typically require many days to        complete;    -   2. The expansive nature of the fields used which makes live        spectating difficult for spectators who do not wish to move; and    -   3. The difficulty of following a given player due to the size of        the course and the number of fields over which play is        conducted.

The result is that golf, as played on traditionally marked fields, isperceived to lack efficiency and excitement in comparison to other moremodern games such as Twenty-20 cricket. As the characteristics of golfare inextricably linked to the fields on which the game is played, newmethods of field marking are required if golf is to evolve as a hobbyand spectator sport.

It is generally desirable to overcome or ameliorate one or more of theabove mentioned difficulties, or at least provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a method ofpreparing a field for the play of a club and ball game, including thesteps of:

-   (a) defining on said field one or more playable surfaces including:    -   (i) a tee-off area, said area determining a region where game        players are permitted to commence play;    -   (ii) a fairway at least partially bounded by one or more one or        more unplayable areas;    -   (iii) a green; and    -   (iv) a hole opening into a playable surface of the green,        wherein the hole is configured to receive a game ball therein;        and-   (b) defining, on the one or more playable surfaces, one or more    corrals, each of said corrals defining a region where game events    may commence from.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a methodincluding the step of marking, on a golf course field including a hole,one or more supplementary areas (referred to herein as “corrals”) thatdetermine where players are permitted to perform supplementary shotstowards the hole after playing the hole.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a field foruse in a club and ball game marked in accordance with the abovedescribed method.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a method forthe play of a club and ball game, wherein the club and ball gameobjectives include sinking a game ball into a hole through movement ofthe ball via a progressive series of shots, each shot involving contactbetween the ball and a club swung by the player, and where the game isplayed over one or more fields, said fields marked in accordance withthe method described above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are hereinafterdescribed, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a marked field in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a process for generating a marked field inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a corral component of a marked field;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a process for an elimination golf game asplayable on one or more marked fields produced in accordance with thedescribed embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a process for eliminating a player during anelimination golf game played on one or more marked fields;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a process for conducting an eliminationevent during an elimination golf game played on one or more markedfields;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a first exemplary marked field for useduring an elimination golf game;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of one part of the exemplary marked fieldshown in FIG. 7, and displaying shots being taken by players during anelimination event;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a second exemplary marked field for useduring an elimination golf game;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of one part of the exemplary marked fieldshown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of one part of the exemplary marked fieldshown in FIG. 9, and displaying shots being taken by players during anelimination event;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a third exemplary marked field for useduring an elimination golf game;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of one part of the exemplary marked fieldshown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of one part of the exemplary marked fieldshown in FIG. 12, and displaying shots being taken by players during anelimination event;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a system for representing the state ofplay of an elimination golf game played on one or more marked fields;

FIG. 16 is an example of a game state overlay for a television broadcastbased presentation of an elimination golf game;

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a computer system used to implement thecomputing devices and/or the server devices of the system forrepresenting the elimination golf game state;

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram of a process of eliminating a player during anextended elimination golf game as playable on one or more marked fields;

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of a first exemplary marked field for useduring a extended elimination golf game;

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of one part of the exemplary marked fieldshown in FIG. 19, and displaying shots being taken by players during aranking event;

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of a second exemplary marked field foruse during an extended elimination golf game;

FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of one part of the exemplary marked fieldshown in FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram of a second exemplary marked field foruse during a an extended elimination golf game, and displaying shotsbeing taken by players during a ranking event;

FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram of a third exemplary marked field for useduring an extended elimination golf game;

FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram of one part of the exemplary marked fieldshown in FIG. 24, and displaying shots taken by players during a rankingevent;

FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram of a fourth exemplary marked field foruse during an extended elimination golf game; and

FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram of one part of the exemplary marked fieldshown in FIG. 26, and displaying shots taken by players during a rankingevent;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Overview

The described embodiments of the present invention include a method forpreparing a field that defines a play area for the play of a club andball game. The method of field marking produces a field containingcomponents (referred to herein as “elements”) which characterise thefield, and thus influence the parameters of the club and ball game whichis played on the field. The club and ball games supported for play onthe field involve the use of the field by multiple players, where theobjective of each player is to sink their game ball into the hole viamovement of the ball over the field using a clubbed instrument. In thesegames movement of the ball is achieved by a shot, which is defined as astrike of the ball as performed in one single motion by a player. Thefield marking method produces fields designed for use in competitivegame play where the performance of a game player is quantified by thenumber of shots taken by the player in achieving the objective.

The described method can be applied onto a physical landscape in orderto produce a field that includes elements such as surfaces, surfacesub-areas, objects and hazards. A typical embodiment of a field containselements facilitating the passage of a game ball across the field, suchas, for example, continuous areas of a smooth flat surface. The fieldcan also contain impeding elements, such as impassable terrain or roughsurfaces, which prevent the passage of the game ball.

Areas: Starting Area, Supplementary Game Event Area (i.e. Corrals)

The method of field marking creates elements with particularsignificance to the rule set of the club and ball game. For example, theelements of a marked field can include: starting areas (or “zones”)determining where play begins; a green (or “putting green”) on whichplayers can perform putting shots; and supplementary game event areas(or “zones”) determining where players can participate in supplementarygame events. In some embodiments, the supplementary game event areas aredistinct from other game areas, such as the starting areas and thegreen. The supplementary game events can include elimination events,played from respective elimination areas, in which a number ofsupplementary shots are performed for the purpose of determining asubset of one or more players to be eliminated from the game.Alternatively, the supplementary game events can include ranking events,played from respective ranking areas, in which a number of supplementaryshots are performed for the purpose of ranking the performance of asubset of one or more game players. Elimination and/or ranking gameevent areas are physically marked onto the field, and are referred toherein as “corrals”.

The field can include additional elements that are mandatory to theobjectives of the game. For example, fields produced for play within atype of golf game include a hole embedded into the green, and a startingarea in the form of a “tee-off” area.

The relative location and configuration of the corrals can be customisedby a game designer in order to vary the difficulty, duration and/orobservability of the club and ball game played on the field. Forexample, different corrals marked on a single field can be customisedsuch that each corral provides an incentive for players to perform aparticular type of shot during the supplementary game events. Thisallows spectators to view all the players and all the shots over theduration of a game played on the field.

General Rules/Process of the Game—Golf but with Innovations, Link toField Method

The described embodiment of the invention produces marked fields whichare conducive to the play of a club and ball game with rulessubstantially similar to golf. Each player performs a series of shots toprogressively move their game ball from the starting area into the fieldhole. Only one player may play a shot on the field at any one time, andeach player is allowed only to play a shot with respect to their gameball. The game balls can not be advanced from their current positionduring the game by any means other than performing a shot. A comparativeassessment of player performance is made via scoring the number of shotstaken by each player to complete the field (i.e. to sink their ball intothe hole).

Embodiments of fields produced in accordance with the described methodenable an elimination style of a golf game (herein referred to as“elimination golf”). Elimination golf allows multiple players tocomplete golf rule based rounds over a set of marked fields, each withone hole. Player scores are calculated for each field based on thenumber of shots required by the player to sink the hole. At theconclusion of each round a subset of players are selected forelimination based on the scores of the players posted during the round.Elimination game events are employed in the case of tied highest scoresin order to determine the eliminated players, and are performed usingone or more corrals.

The games of elimination type golf played on the marked fields of thedescribed method involves the organisation of players into groups, whereeach group is required to play a series of rounds over a set of markedfields. The gameplay and strategic decisions made by the competitorswithin the game are critically dependent on the physical properties ofthe marked fields, such as the relative proportion of ‘playable’ and‘unplayable’ elements and the size, location and configuration of theset of corrals. As the properties of the marked fields determine thecharacteristics of the game play area, variation in the chosen elementsand their configuration can be used to adjust the length, difficulty andpace of the game. Use of the marked fields described herein maytherefore have advantages including:

-   -   1. Compact size allowing the marked game fields to be contained        within a stadium or other venue supporting seated viewing by a        large audience; and    -   2. The promotion of fast and exciting gameplay through the        elimination style of competition, as enabled by the marking        method.

The implementation of an elimination style golf game, as facilitated bythe method of marking fields described herein, provides commercialbenefit as both a spectator sport or leisure hobby.

Components of the Marked Field

As shown in FIG. 1, a marked field 100 produced by the method describedherein includes elements of a tee-off area 102, one or more playablesurfaces 101, one or more corrals 104 a-d, a green 108, and a hole 110.The hole 110 is located co-planar with the green surface defining acavity extending into the surface such as to receive the game ball of aplayer. The marked field 100 also includes one or more unplayablesurfaces 107 and one or more impassable terrain objects 106.

The elements of the marked field 100 are organised to facilitate a roundof the elimination golf style game played by multiple players inaccordance with the game rules described as below. The objective of eachplayer is to sink their game ball into the hole 110, in the green 108,where the ball is moved via a series of shots starting from the tee-offarea 102. The marked field 100 contains one or more playable surfaces101 which facilitate movements of the game ball over the field when theball is in physical contact with the surface 101. In the describedembodiments the playable surfaces 101 are formed from a turf grass, suchas Bermuda, in order to provide the field with durability to traffic andextreme environmental conditions. However, in other embodimentssynthetic or non-natural surfaces may be implemented depending on thegame design goals. For example, a carpet or synthetic grass may be usedto provide faster motion of the ball.

Unplayable surfaces 107 are marked onto a field for the purpose ofimpeding the movement of a game ball which comes into contact with thesurface. For example, sand bunkers or pools of water can be marked ontothe field as unplayable surfaces due to their ability to prevent smoothmovement of the game ball in contrast to the playable surfaces 101 andgreen 108. Impassable terrain 106 within the marked field includesobjects, surfaces or items which function as obstacles preventing thepassage of the ball. For example, the field 100 may include vegetationsuch as trees or bushes through which the game ball of a player cannotpass.

In the described embodiments, the tee-off area 102 is of pre-determinedsize and shape, which can be varied by the game designer based on thenumber of players in the elimination golf game. The tee-off area 102 canbe marked as to be physically distinguished from the surroundingsurfaces. For example, the tee-off area in one embodiment may consist ofa rougher surface material in comparison to the playable surface 101surrounding said tee-off area in order to provide improved robustness tothe increased player traffic in the area. The area 102 can alsofacilitate the use of equipment such as “tees” which a player can use toassist in their initial drive of the ball onto the field. Alternatively,the tee-off area 102 can be comprised of a physically identical surfaceto that of the surrounding surfaces, where the areas are distinguishedonly by a visual boundary (such as a line of paint).

The one or more corrals 104 a-d define areas in which elimination orranking game events take place. Corrals 104 are of a predetermined size,as configurable by the game designer during marking. In the describedembodiment the physical surface of the corral 104 is a playable surfaceallowing for passage of the ball through the corral 104 when struck fromanother position on the field. However, the skilled addressee willrecognise that other embodiments of the method may produce corrals withunplayable surfaces or which are bound by impassable terrain 106 inorder to increase the difficulty of the game.

The green 108 is a playable surface with a particularly high degree ofsmoothness allowing for low frictional forces to be imparted onto theball as it passes over the surface. The contrast in surface friction andflatness between the green 108 and other playable surfaces 101 resultsin an additional strategic aspect to the golf type game played on themarked field 100. For example, players can change clubs to improve theaccuracy and decrease the power of their shots when shooting from thegreen as opposed to the surfaces 101 and 107. The green 108 contains thehole 110, which is located towards the centre of the green in thedescribed embodiment. In other embodiments the hole 110 may be locatedwith arbitrary centrality relative to the green 108. For example, thehole 110 may be located on the distant boundary of the green relative tothe tee-off 102 area to provide a disadvantage for players who‘overshoot’ the green 108 favouring more conservative gameplay. The hole110 is configurable to receive a pin 112 which provides a verticallysuspended indication of the location of the hole 110 to game players.The pin 112 can be embodied as a straight cylindrical tube or pole, andmay have attached to the distal end material indicating the directionand strength of the wind. The proximal end of the pin 112 is placed intothe hole 110 allowing the pin 112 to stand upright in the cavity.

Configuration of Components

The characteristics of the field 100 for playing elimination golf aredependent on the number of field elements and their relativeconfiguration. In the described embodiments the field 100 produced is ofan elongated shape marked with one tee-off area 102 and one green 108 atthe proximal and distal ends of the field 100 respectively. The tee-offarea 102 and green 108 are each adjacent to one or more playablesurfaces 101, where said playable surfaces are interdisposed with one ormore unplayable surfaces 107 and impassable terrain 106. Corrals 104 arelocated at locations within the field 100 chosen such as to addstrategic aspects to the elimination golf game playable on the field.For example, FIG. 1 shows four corrals 104 a-d located with decreasingdistance to the green 108, such that, if permitted to choose a corral tocontest a game event from, a player with a weaker drive shot may prefercorral 104 d over corral 104 a. The skilled addressee will note thatmany variations exist to the number of each field element marked, andthe relative arrangement of the marked field elements, exist within afield 100 depending on the configuration of the elimination golf gamedesired to be played. For example, the corrals 104 may be marked out inunplayable surface 107 areas to provide an additional challenge toparticipants.

The ‘Method’

FIG. 2 illustrates a method of marking the fields 200 used to playelimination golf in accordance with the presented invention. The field100 is marked with tee-off area 102, corral 104, and green 108 elementsplaced relative to the existing one or more playable surfaces 101,unplayable surfaces 107 and impassable terrain 106 elements. The tee-off102 element position is firstly marked in step 202. Marking involvesidentification of the size and position of the tee-off area 102. In thedescribed embodiments the tee-off 102 area is of a pre-determined sizeand shape which is configurable by the game designer. For example, insome embodiments the tee-off area is rectangular in shape and withdimensions of between 5 metres and 10 metres in length and between 3metres and 5 metres in width. The green 108 is marked 204 relative tothe position of the tee-off 102 area, such as to define opposing “ends”of the field. Although the field 100 shown in FIG. 1 is approximatelyrectangular in shape, the skilled addressee will note that any arbitraryshape may be implemented for the field, such as for example, arc-typeshapes. Players playing elimination golf on such fields may be presentedwith a risk-reward trade-off in terms of a strategic choice of followingthe playable surface around a longer arc, or driving over unplayablesurfaces (or obstacles) for a shorter path to the hole. Both the tee-off102 and green 108 sections of the field 100 in the described embodimentare flat areas surrounded by a playable surface 101. The tee-off area102 and green 108 are constructed by physically distinguishing theelements from the playable surface 101. For example, the green 108 maybe formed from Bentgrass which has a finer texture than grasses suitedto the playable surface 101.

The process 206 of marking out the hole 110 involves selecting theposition of the hole on the green 108 and excavating the cavity for thepurpose of inserting a ball placement container into the surface. Themarked field production method 200 described herein involves theconstruction of corrals 208. Corrals are placed arbitrarily according tothe design of the specific game to take place on the field. The size andshape of each corral is configurable by the game designer. In someexemplary embodiments the corrals are rectangular in shape, withdimensions of approximately 4 meters in length by 3 meters in width. Inthe described embodiment corrals 104 are placed only playable surfaces101 and are distinguished from these surfaces by boundary markings whichdo not affect the play of the surface (such as paint). Optionally, thefield marking method 200 may include the marking of additionalunplayable surfaces 107. For example, sand bunkers may be added to thefield in order to provide a higher degree of difficulty for the gameplayers and increased excitement for the spectators.

The fields 100 produced by the method described herein include corrals.FIG. 3 illustrates the structure of a corral 104, including the boundary301, the corral surface 302 and standing area 303. The corral boundary301 in the presented embodiment is seamless with the surrounding surfaceand represents only a visual indicator applied to mark the corral fromthe adjacent playable surface 101. The corral surface 302 includesidentical material to the playable surface 101. The skilled addresseewill recognise that in other embodiments the corral surface 302 may bephysically distinguished from the surrounding playable surface 101through the use of different surface materials. For example, forembodiments using Bermuda grass for the playable surface 101, the corralsurface 302 may be overseeded with a tougher grass such as ryegrass.

In the described embodiment the corral surface 302 is flat, howeverother embodiments may involve corrals with sloped or uneven surfaces.The standing area 303 defines the area within the corral 104 where aplayer can validly commence the elimination or ranking game event. Inaccordance with the rules of elimination golf, the player and their gameball must be located within the standing area 303 in order to commencethe event. In the described embodiment the standing area 303 is arectangle of dimensions between 3 metres and 5 metres in width, andbetween 2 metres and 4 metres in length. In alternative embodiments thestanding area 303 may have different dimensions, and may extend acrossthe entire corral surface representing the case where there are nolimits on where the player may stand or where the ball may be placed.

Production of marked fields in accordance with the described inventionallows players to engage in a game of elimination golf, as illustratedby FIG. 4. A competition in elimination golf takes place between N=2^(K)players, with integer K>=1 giving totals of 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, etc.players for the tournament. The process 400 of determining theelimination golf game winner is based on the division of the activeplayers at each stage of the tournament into M groups, each groupdenoted g_(i) i=1, . . . , M. The number of players per group is denotedas the group size G, such that there are M=ceil(N/G) groups contestingthe current stage. The group size G is chosen to be a power of 2 suchthat G=2^(h) where h is a positive integer. This ensures that there arean integer number of groups, with each group containing a maximum of Gplayers, in each game stage. In each tournament stage every group g_(i)undergoes an elimination process involving the use of the one or moremarked fields 404. In the described embodiment there are N^(s) activeplayers at the beginning of tournament stage s, where N¹=N, with theactive players partitioned into stage specific groups g_(i) ^(s) i=1, .. . , M.

Play of a tournament stage by a group g_(i) ^(s) involves playingelimination golf over G−1 rounds, where the completion of each roundreduces the number of active players in each group g_(i) ^(s) by one.The completion of a stage by a given group g_(i) ^(s) allows thedetermination of the winning player from the group g_(i) ^(s) (step406). Repeating this process for each group produces the M=N^(s)/G groupwinning players at the completion of stage s, where these playersrepresent the only remaining active players in the tournament. Theseplayers are used to form the active pool of N^(s+1) players for the nextstage (step 408). The process repeats until M=1 for the next stageindicating that this stage will produce a final winner 410. In thedescribed embodiment groupings are formed according to the seeding orranking of players. For example, for N=16 players, with G=4, players maybe allocated to groups cyclically according to their ranking, such that:g₁ contains players ranked 1, 5, 9, and 13; g₂ contains players ranked2, 6, 10, and 14; g₃ contains players ranked 3, 7, 11, and 15; and g₄contains players ranked 4, 8, 12, and 16.

In the described embodiments a round played by a group g_(i) ^(s) instage s eliminates one player from the group based on the score of allactive (non-eliminated) players in the group, as obtained via play onthe marked field 100 associated with the round. A set of marked fields100 can be utilised for a game of elimination golf, where one possiblegame configuration involves the association of a different field to eachround of group play. Alternatively, a single field 100 may be used by agiven group to play through multiple rounds within a stage. The processby which a round is played by a group is as follows:

-   -   1) A random draw is performed at the start of the round to        allocate the play order for the active players in the group;    -   2) Players each tee-off from the tee-off area 102 in the        determined order;    -   3) The active players in g_(i) ^(s) take a series of shots, one        at a time, with the objective to sink their ball into the hole        in accordance with golf rules, where the shot order is        determined as according to 1);    -   4) The score of a player is calculated as the number of shots        required by that player to sink their ball; and    -   5) The scores of all active players within the group are        compared allowing one player to be eliminated based on the        scores.

The player scores are specific to the round as played on a given field100. In some embodiments there may be a maximum number of shots allowedby any one player in the round in order to limit the duration of theround. Players reaching the maximum will automatically ‘concede’ thehole and receive this maximum score. FIG. 5 shows the process 500 ofeliminating a player in a round of play. Determination of theelimination score 502 proceeds by taking the maximum of all scoresposted by the players in the round. If the elimination score ispossessed by a single player (i.e. is non-shared) then this single worstperforming player is eliminated 504. If the elimination score is held intie between two or more players an elimination event 506 is used todetermine the eliminated player.

In the described embodiment the elimination game event, which determinesthe player to be eliminated from a group, is based on a closest to thehole ‘sudden death’ supplementary shot, as played from one of thecorrals 104. The corrals 104 a-d are numbered for reference by the gameplayers and authorities. FIG. 6 illustrates the process of playing anelimination event 506. The order of play for the elimination event isdetermined 602 by the reverse tee-off order. The player playing first inthe elimination event chooses which corral 604 is to be used, where thechoice is made subject to any restrictions such as the exclusivity ofcorral numbers across rounds of play for each group. For example, acorral chosen by a group in an elimination event may exclude that corralfrom being chosen by subsequent groups playing an elimination event onthe same field 100. Other configurations may calculate the play orderdifferently, or may employ a different means of corral selection, suchas random selection.

Each player participating in the elimination event takes a single shotfrom the corral 606. For a shot to be valid the player must be standingwithin the standing area 303, and must shoot the ball from itsstationary position within this zone 303. The shot is complete when theball returns to a stationary position after one full swing of the clubis made by the player, said swing resulting in the club making contactwith the ball. The distance of the ball to the hole 110 is calculatedfor each participating player after completion of their shot (step 608).This ‘ball-to-hole’ distance is calculated by a referee using manualmeasurement tools, such as, for example, a measuring tape. This providesthe game with suspense, although the skilled addressee will appreciatethat other game configurations may utilise different assessmentapproaches including electronic or video based object detection.

The above process is repeated for each player according to the order ofelimination play. The distances recorded for each player competing inthe elimination event are compared and the maximum ball-to-hole distanceover all the shots is calculated 610. If the maximum distance isuniquely produced by a single player's shot then this player iseliminated 504. In the case of a maximum distance that is shared betweentwo or more players, an additional elimination event is performed forthe players sharing the maximum distance. This process continues untilone player is eliminated. The additional elimination events arecommenced from the same corral and with the same play order as in theinitial event. In other embodiments, the elimination process of the gamecan be varied such that additional criteria are used to determine theelimination of players. For example, the surface on which the shot of aplayer participating in an elimination game event lands may beconsidered in order to calculate player performance during theelimination game event. In one such modification shots landing on thegreen may be considered as preferential to shots landing off the green,even where the ball-to-hole distance of the latter shot is smaller. Theskilled addressee will recognise that many similarly arbitrarymodifications to the elimination process may be applied during the playof elimination golf on the fields produced by the methods describedherein.

Elimination Golf Tournament Example—16 Players, 4 Groups

The process of playing elimination golf over marked fields 100 producedby the described method is further illustrated by an example tournamentof 16 players organised into 4 groups. To begin stage 1 there areM=16/4=4 groups of players g₁, g₂, g₃ and g₄. Three marked fields areused in the tournament, with round 1 played on field one, and round 2 onfield two, and round 3 on field three.

FIG. 7 shows the play of round 1 stage 1 by the players in group g₁,where the players are denoted A, B, C and D. Play is conducted on fieldone 700, including a playable surface 701, unplayable surfaces 707,impassable obstacles 706, a starting area 702, four corrals 704 a-d, agreen surface 708 and a hole 710. Based on the random draw, the order ofplay is A 1st, B 2nd, C 3rd and D 4th. From the starting zone 702, allplayers play their first shot onto the putting surface (i.e. the green)708. D sinks his lengthy putt to post a score of two. Players A, B and Ctwo putt and all post scores of three. Therefore players A, B and C areall tied for the highest score and must participate in an eliminationevent.

FIG. 8 illustrates the process of performing the elimination event.Player C gets to choose which corral the elimination event will takeplace. He chooses corral 2 704 b. Under the rules of this tournamentonce a corral has been chosen it is no longer available for selection byany of the following groups playing on the field in this round. PlayerB's shot rolls through the green 708 while the shots of players C and Aboth land on the green 708. Player B is furthest from the hole 710 andis eliminated from the group (i.e. player B no longer belongs to the setof active players). The remaining active players A, C and D progress toround 2.

FIG. 9 shows the play of round 2 stage 1 by the active players in groupg1. Play is conducted on field two 900, including a playable surface901, unplayable surfaces 907, impassable obstacles 906, a starting area902, a green 908 and a hole 910. Based a random draw, the order of playis C, D and then A. The players drive strongly on the long Par 4 andeach require 3 shots to reach the green 908. As shown in FIG. 10, A'ssecond shot lands close to the hole and A scores a three. Players C andD take second shots finishing on the green 908 some distance from thehole 910. Both players take two putts and both post a score of four. Theabove players C and D are tied for the highest score in this round, andas a result must play an elimination event.

FIG. 11 illustrates the process of the elimination event between playersC and D. Player D chooses which of the corrals 904 a-d the event willtake place according to a reverse tee-off based selection priority rule.Corral 1 904 a has been used by the previous group and is therefore nolonger available for selection. Player D chooses corral 4 904 d andplays first. Player D finishes closer to the hole 910 than C. Player Cis thus eliminated from the active players in group g₁ and D goesthrough to round 3 with A.

FIG. 12 shows the play of round 3 by the active players A and D in groupg₁. Play is conducted on field three 1000, including playable surfaces1001, unplayable surfaces 1007, impassable obstacles 1006, a startingarea 1002, a green surface 1008 and a hole 1010. Based a random draw,the order of play is D and then A. Both players again drive strongly onthe medium length Par 4. Both players play mid-iron shots onto the frontof the green 1008. A and D's second shots both finish on the green 908some distance from the hole 1010. As shown by FIG. 13, both players taketwo putts and both post a score of four. These players are tied for thehighest score and as a result must play in an elimination event.

FIG. 14 illustrates the process of the elimination event between playersA and D. Player A gets to choose which of the corrals 1004 a-d the eventwill take place. Corrals 1 1004 a and 4 1004 d have been used byprevious groups and are therefore no longer available for selection.Player A chooses corral 2 1004 b and plays first. Player D finishescloser to the hole 1010 than A. Player A is eliminated from the activeplayers in the group g₁. As only D remains active in the group, D isdetermined as the group winner. Player D progresses to the next stagealong with the other three group winners from g₂, g₃ and g₄.

A single group is formed at the beginning of stage 2 containing the N=4group winners. As M=N/G=1, this stage represents the ‘final’ which willproduce a tournament winning player. The final stage replicates theprevious group phase, where a player is eliminated each hole and theeventual winner is produced over three holes played on each of the threefields.

Extended Elimination Golf

The marked fields produced according to the methods described hereinsupport an alternative version (referred to herein as “extendedelimination golf”) of the standard elimination golf game describedabove. In extended elimination golf all players play a minimum number ofrounds, and ‘sudden death’ shot play can be used within ranking eventsto determine the relative performance of a player within each round. Theprocess of playing extended elimination golf 1800 is shown in FIG. 18.The players of each group play a round set 1802 consisting of apre-determined number of rounds before elimination is performed. Theperformance of each player is accumulated over successive rounds using apoints-based scoring system which accounts for a player's handicap 1803.Player elimination 504 proceeds in accordance with the rules of standardelimination golf described above, but based on the accumulated playerscores. This game mode allows players to experience play over a minimumnumber of rounds regardless of their performance in any individualround.

In extended elimination golf a two-step process is used to determine thescore of each player within a round. For a given player, a ‘raw’ roundscore is firstly calculated 1804 representing the player's performancein sinking the ball. The raw round score can be the shot score (i.e. thenumber of shots taken to sink the ball), as described above.Handicapping 1803 is implemented by allocating a raw score to the playerbased on the number of shots taken to sink the ball in relation to anadjusted fixed score. One form of the extended elimination golf gameimplements Stableford Par Index scoring, where the adjusted fixed scoreis calculated based on a par shot value for the field modified by theplayer's handicap. For example, if a player has a six handicap, theyreceive an extra shot removed from their score on the six hardest fieldsavailable.

The raw score is converted into a rank 1806 which quantifies theperformance of the player relative to all other players in the group.For a group of N players, each player is assigned a unique integer from1 to N representing their ranking, with the player ranked 1 performingthe best within the particular round. Ranks cannot be shared betweenplayers, and to determine player ranks in the case of tied raw scores aranking game event 506 is performed. In the described embodiment rankingevents involve each participating player performing a singlesupplementary shot from a corral, as described above for eliminationevents within the standard elimination golf game. The rank of theplayers participating in a ranking event is determined by their shotball-to-hole distance. For example, if players A, B and C have a tiedraw score a three-way ranking event is performed. If the players A, Band C produce ball-to-hole distances of 3 metres, 1 metre and 10 metresrespectively, then C is allocated a lower rank than A, and A isallocated a lower rank than B.

The final round score for a player is determined by assigning points1808 to the player based on their relative rank. In one embodiment ofthe game a player ranked X within their group receives X points for theround, which is added to their accumulated score. For example, a playerranked first receives one point, while a player ranked fourth receivesfour points. In the extended elimination golf game the elimination 504of one or more players from a group is performed based on theaccumulated player scores. In iterative stage based play, the lowestperforming (i.e. highest scoring) player is eliminated where anelimination event is used to resolve tied scores in accordance with FIG.5. Play continues over multiple round sets until a group winner isdetermined. Alternatively, the group winner can be determined directlyvia a ranking game event between a pre-determined best performing (i.e.lowest scoring) number of players in the group. The ranking event caninvolve supplementary shots played over one or more fields according tothe any of the formats of the elimination golf game, or extendedelimination golf game, described herein above.

Extended Elimination Golf Tournament Example—16 Players, 4 Groups

The process of playing extended elimination golf is illustrated below inthe context of group play between four players denoted A, B, C and D.Player C has a handicap of six, while players A, B and D have nohandicap. FIG. 19 shows group play on the first field, which is rankedtenth hardest such that C does not receive any extra shots. Based on therandom draw, the order of play is A 1st, B 2nd, C 3rd and D 4th. Fromthe starting zone 702, all players play their first shot onto theputting surface (i.e. the green) 708. D sinks his lengthy putt to post ashot score of two. Players A, B and C two putt and all post shot scoresof three. Therefore players A, B and C are all tied for the highest shotscore and a ranking event is performed.

Player C gets to choose which corral the event will take place. Hechooses corral 2 704 b. Under the rules of this particular game once acorral has been chosen it is no longer available for selection by any ofthe following groups playing on the field in this round. Player B's shotrolls through the green 708 while the shots of players C and A both landon the green 708. As shown in FIG. 20, Player B is furthest from thehole 710, with player C shooting closer to the hole 710 than player A.The players are therefore ranked as D first, C second, A third and Bfourth, giving point scores of: D=1 point; C=2 points; A=3 points; andB=4 points.

FIG. 21 shows the play of round 2, where the order of play is C, D, Aand then B. The players drive strongly and each require two shots toreach the green 908. As shown in FIG. 22, A's second shot lands close tothe hole and A receives a shot score of three. Player B also scores athree. Players C and D take second shots finishing on the green surface908 some distance from the hole 910. Both players take two putts andboth post a shot score of four. Two ranking events are performed toresolve the two sets of tied shot scores: A against B to determine firstand second ranks; and C against D to determine the third and fourthranks.

FIG. 23 illustrates the process of performing the ranking event betweenthe players. Player B chooses which of the corrals 904 a-d the eventwill take place according to a reverse tee-off based selection priorityrule. Corral 1 904 a has been used by the previous group and istherefore no longer available for selection. Player B chooses corral 4904 d and plays first in the event against A. Players A and D win theirrespective events and receive ranks 1 and 3, while players B and Creceive ranks 2 and 4 respectively. The accumulated scores after round 2are thus: D=4 points; A=4 points; C=6 points; and B=6 points.

FIG. 24 shows the play of round 3 where, the order of play is D, A, Band then C. The field is ranked thirteenth hardest and so C does notreceive a shot. The players again drive strongly on the medium lengthPar 4. All players play mid-iron shots onto the front of the green 1008.All shots finish on the green surface 908 some distance from the hole1010. Players C and B finish with a shot score of three, while players Dand A are tied with a shot score of four.

FIG. 25 illustrates the process of the ranking event between players Cand B, and players A and D. Player C gets to choose which of the corrals1004 a-d the event will take place. Corrals 1 1004 a and 4 1004 d havebeen used by previous groups and are therefore no longer available forselection. Player C chooses corral 2 1004 b and plays first in the eventagainst B. Players C and D are victorious in their ranking events andare assigned ranks of 1 and 3 respectively, awarding 1 point and 3points. Players B and A are assigned ranks of 2 and 4 respectively,awarding 2 points and 4 points. The accumulated scores after round 3 arethus: D=7 points; A=8 points; C=7 points; and B=8 points.

FIG. 26 shows the play of round 4 where, the order of play is D, A, Band then C. The field is ranked third hardest and so C receives oneshot. Player C scores five, which is reduced to four due to the one shothandicap. Player D takes five shots and finishes outright fourth. PlayerB takes three shots and finishes outright first. Player A ties with C onfour shots. FIG. 27 illustrates the process of the ranking event betweenplayers A and C. Player C gets to choose which of the corrals the eventwill take place. Corrals 2-4 have been used by previous groups and soPlayer C chooses corral 1 and plays first in the ranking event againstA. Player C finishes closer to the hole than A and wins the event.Players C and A are assigned ranks of 2 and 3 respectively, awarding 2points and 3 points. Player B receives 1 point and player D receives 4points. The accumulated scores after round 4 are thus: D=11 points; A=11points; C=9 points; and B=9 points. A ranking event is subsequentlyperformed between best performing players B and C in order to determinethe group winner.

Scoring System

FIG. 15 illustrates a system 1100 for representing the state of play ofa game of standard elimination golf or extended elimination golf, asplayed over fields marked by the methods described herein. The system1100 includes an analysis component 1104, operable by a referee or othergame authority 1102, and a broadcast component 1114, operable by abroadcast operator 1122. The system 1100 is configured to receive gameinformation from the referee 1102 through an interaction device 1106.The game information received by the analysis component 1104 includesactions taken by the players during the game as played according to theprocess 400. For example, the referee 1102 can input to the system 1100,via the interaction device 1106, information including: the groupmembership prior to each game stage; the order of play of the players ina given group; information related to the shots taken by a player duringa round; and information related to shots taken by players participatingin elimination events.

The analysis component 1104 processes the received game informationwithin a game event controller 1108, which maintains a logicalrepresentation of the state of the game based on the informationsupplied by the referee 1102. The event controller 1108 communicateswith a game data server 1110 configured to store information related tothe game presently being played, the fields in use, and the gameplayers. The game data server 1110 provides persistent data storage forinformation of the present game of elimination or extended eliminationgolf, and for previously played games and player participants.

The game event controller 1108 maintains an updated representation ofthe state of play of the present game. The state of play of the game isdetermined by a range of variables including the score for each playeras they proceed through the game stages. The score processing module1112 calculates state information reflecting the scores of each playerduring group, elimination and/or ranking game event play, as accordingto the specific rules of the game. The score processing module 1112implements the process 406 to determine the maximum shot score for allplayers in a group, and the process 506 to eliminate or rank playersaccording to the rules of the elimination or ranking game event.

The broadcast component 1114 is configured to receive game stateinformation and to subsequently produce game state presentation signalsallowing the state of the game to be represented in a specificpre-determined format. The signals produced by the broadcast componentare interpretable to present the game state to a spectator 1124. Theimplementation of the broadcast component 1114 will depend on thepresentation device 1123 of the embodiment. For example, in one possibleembodiment the presentation device 1123 may be a television device,where the game state presentation signals are radio waves, transmittedover a television network, and digitally encoding information capable ofdisplaying the game state as an ‘overlay’ during a visual broadcast ofthe game events.

FIG. 16 shows an example of a game state overlay 1200 for a televisionbroadcast based presentation of an elimination, or extended elimination,golf game. The overlay 1200 has components including a game progressindicator 1202, which shows the current round of the game and the fieldwhich the round is being played on. The indicator 1202 also showswhether the round is being played in elimination form or as a ‘standard’round of gameplay. The overlay 1200 includes a player score displaycomponent 1203, which lists the scores of the players participating inthe round. The display 1203 indicates the relative performance of theplayers by arranging their display according to rank. The display 1203also indicates which players are contesting an elimination game eventand which players are safe from elimination for the given round. Theoverlay 1200 includes an active display component 1204 showing theplayer currently playing a shot within an elimination event or standardround. The active display 1204 can be configured to show informationrelated to the quality of the shot played by the player, for example asquantified by the distance of the shot to the hole.

The overlay 1200 includes a scoreboard component 1205 which displays anoverview of the round specific performance of all players within a givengroup. The scoreboard 1205 shows the result achieved by each activeplayer in a given round. In each round a player can win by surviving tothe next round, or lose by being eliminated. In the described embodimentthe result values can include: ‘Win Outright (WO)’, indicating that theplayer won the round by escaping elimination entirely (i.e. by avoidingparticipation in an elimination event); ‘Win by Sudden death (WS)’,indicating that the player won the round while participating in a‘sudden death’ elimination event; ‘Loss Outright (LO)’, indicating thatthe player lost the round (and was consequently eliminated) withoutcontesting an elimination event; and ‘Loss by Sudden death (LS)’,indicating that the player lost the round via an elimination event.

The overlay 1200 also includes a component 1206 showing the name orassociated logo of the elimination or extended elimination golftournament for which the game state is represented. This can include anindication of the type of tournament and/or the stage of the tournament(e.g. “Semi-Finals”, etc.). The skilled addressee will appreciate that,although the described embodiment generates an overlay 1200 containingcomponents providing text-based information, other embodiments maygenerate overlays possessing graphical visualisations and/or displays ofthe associated game state information. In further embodiments, thepresentation device 1123 may be an audio device, where the game statepresentation signals are interpretable to produce audio descriptions ofthe game state (i.e. scores, gameplay, etc.) for a listening spectator1124.

Alternative embodiments of the system 1100 may use a physicalpresentation device 1123, such as a scoreboard, located in the vicinityof the spectator 1124 during live play. In such embodiments the gamestate presentation signals produced by the broadcast component 1114 caninclude control signals interpretable to facilitate the display ofinformation onto the presentation device 1123. For example, a mechanicalor electronic scoreboard may be controlled by the game statepresentation signals, which are interpreted to determine the game stateelements displayed (i.e. player names, scores, round number, etc.), andthe relative configuration of the display elements on the board. Such amechanical or electronic scoreboard can be configured to display similarinformation to that displayed by the scoreboard component 1205 in thegame state overlay 1200 described above.

In the described embodiment the broadcast controller 1116 is configuredto receive game state information from the game event controller 1118 ofthe analysis component 1104. The controller 1118 generates game statepresentation signals based on the game state information received, andaccording to a format determined by the logic module 1120. The logicmodule 1120 directs the signal generation process undertaken by thecontroller 1118 based on a set of presentation rules for presenting thegame state on a given presentation device 1123, where different types ofsignals are required for different media. For example, the controlsignals required for television broadcast overlays can differ from thoseof an audio commentary.

In the system 1110 of the described embodiments, the controller 1118 isprogrammable by a broadcast operator 1122, via an interaction device1107, to ensure that the representation of the game state possesses aspecific structure and arrangement based on the interpretation of thegame state presentation signals. For example, the operator 1122 can,configure the overlay layout for game state representation within atelevision broadcast (as shown in FIG. 16), and can transmit thisconfiguration to the controller 1118 such that the presentation signalsgenerated display this layout to the spectator 1124. Embodiments of thedescribed system 1100 contain a broadcast data server 1118 configured tostore data related to the format and structure with which game stateinformation is to be presented. Data server 1118 is accessed by thecontroller 1118, to store and retrieve presentation formats inaccordance with instructions from the operator 1122.

In the described embodiment of the system 1100 the interaction devices1106, 1107, controllers 1108, 1116, servers 1110, 1118, and modules1112, 1120 may include one or more computing devices, as shown in FIG.17, operable to execute instructions to perform the functionality of thesystem 1100 for representing the state of play of a game of eliminationor extended elimination golf as described herein above. The skilledaddressee will recognise that the following descriptions relate to thegeneric architecture and configuration of a computing device which maybe used to implement the system 1110, and that other configurationsexist which may involve the implementation of the system 1110 incombination with other modules or devices.

In the described embodiments a computing device 1300 includes a centralsystem bus 1301, a removable storage media 1302, a memory system 1303, aprocessor 1307, a communication system 1308, a display interface 1310,and an I/O device interface 1312. The processor 1307 may be anymicroprocessor which performs the execution of sequences of machineinstructions, and may have architectures consisting of a single ormultiple processing cores. The processor 1307 issues control signals toother computing device 1300 components via the system bus 1301, and hasdirect access to at least some form of the memory 1303.

The memory 1303 provides an internal system for the electrical storageof the machine instructions required to execute applications. Theapplications may include, but are not limited to a web browser, and anonline deal system server application. The memory 1303 may includerandom access memory (RAM), non-volatile memory (such as ROM or EPROM),cache memory and registers for fast access by the processor 1307, andhigh volume storage subsystems such as hard disk drives (HDD).Individual memory system components, such as the high volume storagesubsystems, may include separate interfaces and/or buses to the mainsystem bus in order to increase data transfer efficiency. A removablestorage media 1302 may be implemented in the form of flash drives orremovable high volume storage devices.

A portion of the memory 1303 may be non-volatile, and may contain aBasic Input/Output System (BIOS) which includes routines facilitatingthe communication of data and control signals between computing device1300 components. The memory 1303 and removable media 1302 storeprocessor executable instructions for one or more programs and data,including an operating system 1305, one or more application programs1306, and program data 1304. The one or more application programs mayinclude a client application operable to represent the state of anelimination or extended elimination golf game as described herein.Program data 1304 may include data instructions and state informationproduced or used by an application. More generally, application programs1306 may include methods, data structures or other software servicesthat define data or perform functions. The program data 1304, theindividual instructions of an application program 1306, and theoperating system 1305 may reside in portions of the memory 1303,including the registers, cache, main memory, and high volume storage, orin the removable storage media 1302. The skilled person in the art willappreciate that many embodiments of the memory 1303 exist, allowing forvariation in the distribution of program data and instructions betweenthe individual memory subsystems.

The system bus 1301 provides a means by which data may be exchangedbetween the components of the computing device 1300. The system busallows the processor 1307 to issue control signals to other components,including memory 1303, for the purpose of transferring data. The systembus 1301 may be of varying structure, and may possess one or moresub-buses, such as a memory bus interconnecting the memory 1303components and/or a peripheral bus such as AGP or PCI.

The I/O device interface 1312 provides a means by which the user caninteract with the computing device 1300, and its stored applicationprograms 1306, and data 1304 using input devices 1313 such as a mouseand keyboard. The user may additionally interact with the computingdevice 1300 and its application programs 1306 and data 1304 usingon-board input devices such as a touchpad or touch screen. The I/Odevice interface 1312 also provides a means for the computing device1300 to instruct output peripherals 1314, which may include printers,audio devices, and imaging devices.

The display interface 1310 may include one or more dedicated graphicsinterfaces, which transmit graphics and video signals between thecomputing device 1300 and display devices 1311. The display devices 1311may consist of external displays, such as CRT, LCD, LED or plasmamonitors or TVs, projection devices, or on-board displays.

The computing device 1300 is operable in a networked environment via theconnection of a communication system 1308 to the components. Thecommunication system 1308 enables the logical connection of thecomputing device 1300 to other networks or computing devices through awireless or wired transmission media. Connections to networks or othercomputing devices are formed via wireless and/or physical interfaces1309. The computing device 1300 may establish such connections throughthe use of specialised networking equipment, such as a router, or mayconnect directly to other communications networks or devices possessingsimilar interfaces 1309. In a networked environment the programs 1306and data 1304 of the computing device 1300 may be stored, partially orfully, within the memory system of one or more remote devices.

The computing device 1300 may exchange information with connectednetworks and other communications devices. Protocols such as the IEEE802.xx family may be used for exchanging information wirelessly with,for example, a computer, portable device, printer, scanner, or any otherdevice or location associated with a wireless identity. This includesdevices connected over technologies such as WiFi, WiMax and Bluetooth,and in the form of either structured or ad-hoc communications.

Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention.

Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise,the word “comprise”, and variations such as “comprises” and“comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a statedinteger or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion ofany other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and shouldnot be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that theprior art forms part of the common general knowledge in Australia.

1. A method of preparing a field for a play of a club and ball gamecomprising the steps of: (a) defining on said field one or more playablesurfaces including: (i) a tee-off area determining a region where gameplayers are permitted to commence play; (ii) a fairway at leastpartially bounded by one or more unplayable areas; (iii) a green; and(iv) a hole opening into a playable surface of the green, wherein thehole is configured to receive a game ball therein; and (b) defining, onthe one or more playable surfaces, one or more corrals, each of said oneor more corrals defining an area where supplementary game events maycommence from.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one ormore playable surfaces include at least one of: a) surfaces conducive topermitting a smooth movement of the game ball across the one or moreplayable surfaces; or b) grass based surfaces.
 3. (canceled)
 4. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the one or more unplayable surfacesinclude at least one of: a) surfaces preventing a smooth movement of thegame ball across the one or more unplayable surfaces; or b) sand andwater based surfaces.
 5. (canceled)
 6. The method according to claim 1further comprising, the step of defining one or more obstacles on saidone or more playable surfaces, said one or more obstacles including oneor more of objects, hazards and items which protrude from the field andblock passage of the game ball.
 7. The method according to claim 1,wherein the tee-off area is surrounded wholly by the one or moreplayable surfaces.
 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the oneor more corrals: a) include a corral surface and a standing area inwhich a game player and an associated game ball may occupy to validlycommence a supplementary game event; b) are positioned such as to occupymutually exclusive areas on the one or more playable surfaces of thefield; or c) include configurable size and placement to promote varietyin shots played by players of a club and ball game played on the field.9. (canceled)
 10. (canceled)
 11. A field for use in a club and ball gameprepared in accordance with the method of claim
 8. 12. A method forplaying a club and ball game, wherein the club and ball game objectivesinclude sinking a game ball into a hole through movement of the ball viaa progressive series of shots, each shot involving contact between theball and a club swung by a player, and wherein the game is played overone or more fields, said fields being prepared in accordance with themethod of claim
 1. 13. (canceled)
 14. The method according to claim 12,wherein two or more competing players of the game are divided intogroups, each group: including two or more players, where each playerperforms shots individually in an attempt to achieve the gameobjectives; and engaging in game play on the one or more fields which ismutually exclusive to the game play of other groups.
 15. The methodaccording to claim 14, wherein the performance of each player within agroup in achieving the game objective is quantified by a score, whereinthe score of each player is calculated substantially according to therules of golf, and wherein the calculation of the score of a playerinvolves assigning a handicap to the player, said handicap applied toadjust the score according to the player's proficiency at the game. 16.(canceled)
 17. (canceled)
 18. The method according to claim 15, whereinthe score of a player is determined, at least partially, by a rankinggame event, said ranking game event involving the player moving the ballfrom one of the corrals on to the field in one or more shots.
 19. Themethod according to claim 18, wherein one or more players are eliminatedfrom a group based on a determination of the score of each player in thegroup resulting from play on a marked field, wherein the one or moreplayers eliminated from the group are determined by an elimination gameevent, said elimination game event involving the commencement of play byone or more players at a corral, the corral used for the commencement ofgame play is selected by one of the players in contention forelimination, and wherein the one or more players eliminated isdetermined based on the elimination score of one or more playersparticipating in the elimination game event.
 20. (canceled) 21.(canceled)
 22. (canceled)
 23. The method according to claim 19, whereinthe elimination game event involves each participating player moving theball from the commencement corral on to the field in one or more shotsand wherein the elimination score is determined by the distance from aplayer's ball to the hole after a shot taken by a player during theelimination game event.
 24. (canceled)
 25. The method according to claim23, wherein elimination of one or more players in a group is performediteratively over one or more rounds, wherein each round is played on adifferent field, said field constant for a given round across gamegroups.
 26. (canceled)
 27. The method according to claim 25, wherein,for a given field associated with the club and ball game, use of acorral in the elimination event played by a first group precludes theuse of that corral by any other subsequent group, and wherein the gameis organized in stages, each stage involving: a commencement phase,where active players are organised into groups for play over one or morerounds; a play phase, where each group of players progressively playthrough a series of one or more rounds to determine subsets of activeplayers within the group; and a completion phase, where only one playerremains active within each determined group as a result of the playphase, wherein the game proceeds in successive stages until only oneplayer is active, and said player declared as the game winner. 28.(canceled)
 29. (canceled)
 30. A system for representing a state of playof a club and ball game wherein the game is played over one or morefields, said fields being prepared in accordance with the method ofclaim 1, comprising: an analysis component, configured to produce anindication of the state of play of the game based on game information;and a broadcast component, configured to generate one or more game statepresentation signals based on the determined state of play of the game,said signals interpretable to produce a representation of the gamestate, and where said representation enables a spectator of the game toascertain the game state.
 31. A method including the step of marking, ona golf course field including a hole, one or more supplementary areasthat determine where players are permitted to perform supplementaryshots towards the hole after playing the hole.
 32. The method accordingto claim 31, including marking a) the one or more supplementary areas tobe mutually exclusive areas on the one or more playable surfaces of thefield; or b) a plurality of the supplementary areas in respectivepositions such as to promote variety in the supplementary shots ofplayers of a game played on the field.
 33. (canceled)
 34. The methodaccording to claim 32, wherein the players perform a pre-defined numberof the supplementary shots and wherein ball-to-hole distances from thesupplementary shots are used to rank the players.
 35. (canceled)
 36. Themethod according to claim 34, wherein the ball-to-hole distances fromthe supplementary shots are used to eliminate one or more players fromthe game.